What Is Love?
by Thine Dreamer Doth Take Flight
Summary: Gaara wonders just what exactly love is and goes off in search of it. OneShot.


_A/N: This story just popped into my head from out of nowhere, and I just had to write it. I don't fully comprehend the character of Gaara, so this might be a little out of character for him. But please, just go along with it. Thank you, and please read on._

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**What Is Love?**

_What is love?_

That question just happened to cross the mind of the Kazekage as he stood watching his village from a high viewpoint. He was in his teens, but he had never thought about the emotion love before. He had been so busy with the duties of a village leader that he hadn't had time for personal affairs. Things had died down now, so the question had finally managed to become top priority in his mind.

Gaara had no answers. So he would just have to get them from his siblings, who were obviously old enough to know what love was all about. Temari, of all people, should know, with all the people she kept bringing home with her. And Kankuro…well, he wouldn't know as much, since all the girls he ever talked to rejected him. But he would still know something.

"Explain love to me," Gaara said, appearing in the room where Temari and Kankuro were sitting (a living room).

Kankuro, who had been drinking something, gagged and spit his drink out all over the place. Temari just looked at Gaara with wide eyes, completely taken aback by his demand because she never expected Gaara, of all people, to ask about love. He was usually unemotional. So why was he asking now?

"Why do you want to know about love? You're too busy to worry about such trivial things. Love isn't worth it, Gaara," Temari said, trying to get off the subject.

"Gaara? Love and you don't mix. You don't even mix with any other emotion. Give up on love before it's too late," Kankuro told him.

"If love isn't worth it, then why do you say you love so many men, Temari? And Kankuro, why should I give up on love? You haven't, and you've been rejected every time you've said you loved someone. If anyone should give up, it should be you," Gaara countered. He may not show emotion, but he knew how to get back at people.

Temari and Kankuro had both turned red from embarrassment. They hadn't expected their little brother to know about their love lives.

"All right. Here's what love is," Temari began, sighing. "Love is an emotion felt between two individuals, usually a male and a female. It can be family love, like what Kankuro and I feel for you, or it can be relationship love, like what me and my boyfriend feel for each other."

"Which boyfriend?" Kankuro snickered before being hit upside the head by his sister.

Gaara considered her words carefully before speaking again. "And how do you find love?"

"Love can't be found. Love finds you. It just happens. When you meet the right girl, you'll know it. That's love. And love is also where you don't want to kill something. So when you find it, don't kill the person that your hearts fell for. That'll just lead to heartbreak," Temari stated.

"And you know this how?" Kankuro asked.

"I've seen it happen before," Temari muttered.

"So…you're saying love just happens? Does that mean I have to meet every girl in the world to fall in love?" Gaara inquired.

"Well, not necessarily. But you could start by looking in our village. I'm sure that many of the females in our village would be more than happy to see you," Temari said. "Women usually go for a man with power, anyway."

Gaara took his sister's advice and met with every girl in Suna. Unfortunately, none of them were what he was looking for. He might have been what they were hoping for, but he didn't care. He had no love for them as individuals; he only care about them as a village. Love was nowhere to be found in Suna for the Kazekage.

"Well, you could always look in Konoha. I hear they have some mighty fine women over there in the Land of Fire. Perhaps you could really find a babe there," Kankuro suggested.

Gaara took leave from the Sand village without any escort and left for Konoha. Once there, he searched the face of every female his age he could find. None seemed to "set his heart on fire" as Temari had told him love would do. He was getting frustrated, but he would not give up until he had seen every girl in Japan.

"Hey Gaara!" Naruto greeted, running over to him with a huge grin on his face. "What brings you to Konoha? Shouldn't you be ruling over the Sand village?"

"I'm looking for love," Gaara muttered.

"Aren't we all? Well, have you had any luck so far?" Naruto asked.

"No," Gaara replied bluntly.

"Then let me help you. I know a few good-looking ladies that I could show you. Just follow me, and let us continue your quest for love," Naruto said.

Gaara followed Naruto, who showed him to the pink-haired kunoichi named Sakura, whom Gaara already knew from previous encounters. She was pretty and kind enough, but she didn't "set his heart on fire." Besides, her heart belonged to someone else. It would have been wrong to steal her from someone that she belonged with.

The next girl Naruto showed him was a blonde kunoichi good with mind-manipulation, just like her father. Her name was Ino. She, too, was pretty, but not as kind as Sakura had been. Her temper was short when it came to the people on her squad, especially the fat one. She did not make him feel anything but slightly annoyed. Besides, the way she was looking at the bored one, Shikamaru, proved that love had already found her. She would not have wanted him, anyway.

A strong girl with brown hair put up in buns named Tenten was shown to him next, and she was training when he and Naruto found her. She was good with weapons and didn't mind hurting people, it seemed. She was beautiful, if somewhat blunt. Gaara almost wanted to feel something for her; she seemed so strong and tough, his equal. But he did not feel anything in his heart. Besides, the way she was looking at her training partner, Neji, told him that pursuing her would only end in trouble.

Love seemed hopeless. Gaara felt ready to go back to Suna and forget about love.

"Don't give up yet, Gaara! I have one more person to show you," Naruto told him.

He led Gaara to a girl with long violet hair and lovely lavender eyes. He said her name was Hinata. She was beautiful, shy, and kind. But despite her sweet behavior, Gaara could tell she was a tough fighter. She looked as if she would last a long time in a battle against him. The way she blushed when Naruto introduced them and the way she fidgeted were almost cute. Her stuttering was adorable. And, at the moment when they looked into each other's eyes…

His heart skipped a beat.

That was it! Love had finally found him. Gaara was so happy on the inside that he just wanted to shout and smile and take Hinata in his arms. But something stopped him, and at first he didn't know what. But at second glance, he realized what it was.

Hinata was looking at Naruto with the same look that all the other girls had had.

She loved Naruto, not him. She wanted to be with Naruto, not him. Her heart belonged to Naruto, and there was probably no way to persuade it to change its mind. She belonged to Naruto and no one else. His heart sank as he thought about how his quest for love had been foiled by his friend, but then he realized that Naruto had no girlfriend.

"If you find a girl you like, even if she doesn't like you yet, ask her out on a date," Temari had told him.

"Naruto, would you mind if I asked this girl out?" Gaara inquired, looking at his friend.

"Of course I wouldn't mind," Naruto remarked, giving Gaara a weird look. "Why would I mind?"

"You mean, you don't know that Hinata loves you? You can't tell from the way she looks and acts around you that she loves you with all her heart? Look, Naruto, I may not fully understand just what love is, but even I can see that Hinata wants you," Gaara stated.

Hinata had turned a bright shade of red and looked away from Naruto. Gaara couldn't help but think about how cute she looked when she was embarrassed. Naruto himself had flustered, but it wasn't as appealing with him. Which made sense to Gaara; guys weren't usually appealing to guys.

"I'll admit I love her, but I don't want to ruin your chances of ending up with a girl as perfect as Hinata," Gaara told Naruto. "So, either you take her, or I will."

"Hinata…is it true?" Naruto asked, although her back was to him.

She nodded, but was too embarrassed to turn around and face him. Naruto looked from the emotionless Gaara to the emotional Hinata, trying to decide whose heart he was going to break. Taking in a deep breath, he approached Hinata and stood in front of her, putting his hands on her shoulders so that she wouldn't look away. Gaara wished that he was doing that instead of Naruto, but it had been him who had given Naruto the chance to be with Hinata in the first place. It was too late to turn back now.

"…Hinata…I love you, too…I guess I was too big-headed to see it before," Naruto said with a huge grin. "Will you forgive me and be my girlfriend?"

"Yes!" Hinata exclaimed, jumping into Naruto's arms, smiling.

Naruto turned to Gaara, holding Hinata bridal-style in his arms. "Sorry, Gaara. I know you just found love in Hinata and…I'm so sorry. I hope you can forgive me for this later. And thanks for giving us a chance when you could have easily taken her for your own. I'll never forget what you did for us."

"…Don't mention it," Gaara grumbled.

He watched as Naruto left, holding his love. Then he turned and left for Suna again. There was one thing Temari hadn't told Gaara about, and that was to be prepared for a broken heart.

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_A/N: Awww! Poor Gaara! I guess the poor fellow will never find love. I just want to hug him right now! What did you think? Please tell me. Just don't flame, or Gaara will be even more unhappy and he might come after you, and we wouldn't want that. Thank you for reading._


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